National GIS Specialist – with geomorphology ​/ remote sensing tasks (SSA) - Roster Call

Background

The Kyrgyz Republic, as the "water tower" of Central Asia, holds nearly 8,000 glaciers and thousands of high-altitude moraine-dammed lakes whose breaches can generate catastrophic debris flows. Since 1952, more than 60 dangerous lake outbursts have been recorded in the country. Ongoing glacier retreat and permafrost degradation accelerate the emergence and expansion of such lakes, increasing the probability of sudden breaches under extreme precipitation or thermal stress.

The Kyrgyz Republic, as the "water tower" of Central Asia, holds nearly 8,000 glaciers and thousands of high-altitude moraine-dammed lakes whose breaches can generate catastrophic debris flows. Since 1952, more than 60 dangerous lake outbursts have been recorded in the country. Ongoing glacier retreat and permafrost degradation accelerate the emergence and expansion of such lakes, increasing the probability of sudden breaches under extreme precipitation or thermal stress.

The Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Kyrgyz Republic (MoES) operates an AI-driven GLOF monitoring system based on optical satellite data; it successfully forecast the outbursts of Lakes Zyndan-Western (2024) and Takyr-Tor (2025). However, the system does not yet incorporate localized climate scenarios, geomorphological breach-probability indicators or spatially explicit inundation hazard mapping. The OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek (POiB), in close cooperation with MoES, is implementing the project "Assessment of Glacial Lake Outburst Flood Risks in Priority Mountain Areas of Kyrgyzstan" (June 2026 – December 2027).

The project is structured in two phases:
Phase 1 (2026) — technical enhancement of the existing MoES monitoring system, aerial surveys, hazard mapping and pilot early warning frameworks;
Phase 2 (2027) — field validation at 10 pilot lakes, procurement and installation of automated monitoring equipment, and operationalization of community early warning systems. To deliver the project, POiB will contract national consultants on a Special Service Agreement (SSA) modality. The present Terms of Reference (ToR) define the duties, deliverables and time schedule of the consultant.

To develop and operationalize a geomorphology-based risk classification module within the MoES GLOF monitoring system, support aerial surveys with remote sensing analysis, produce technical and community-level GLOF hazard maps from hydrodynamic model outputs, and build national capacity in GIS-based GLOF risk assessment.

• Inception with POiB, HMFD MoES and the Climate Scientist / Modelling Expert; audit of the existing MoES GIS layers, lake inventory and risk-scoring algorithm; preparation of the geospatial work plan and data-management protocol.
• Development of the geomorphological indicator framework (dam material/type, moraine stability, seepage indicators, ice-cored moraine presence, slope instability); definition of classification protocols for remote, aerial and proximal assessment; validation of the scoring system against documented historical outbursts (Zyndan-Western, Takyr-Tor and other reference events).
• Remote sensing screening of priority lakes (Sentinel-2, Sentinel-1, Landsat) to support selection of aerial-survey targets under Activity 1.4; preparation of pre-flight orthomosaics, hazard scoring and route-planning packages.
• Participation in aerial survey mission planning and (where required) onboard observations during helicopter sorties (Activity 1.4); post-mission geotagged photo cataloguing, georeferencing and integration into the GIS database; production of the aerial survey report and photo atlas.
• Translation of geomorphological indicators into spatial datasets and integration into the multi-criteria risk-scoring algorithm of the MoES system; production of two categories of hazard map products from Modelling Expert outputs: (i) detailed technical maps for MoES and emergency managers and (ii) simplified community hazard maps with aerial-survey photo inserts (Activity 1.3); maintenance of photographic and geospatial catalogue.
• Preparation of the final GIS technical report; participation in…